Families of missing Indians in Iraq leave for Delhi; Sushma Swaraj assures all possible help

To take up the matter with the foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, family members of about eight persons stuck up in Iraq left for New Delhi on Thursday morning.

The family members that are under fear ever since the ministry of external affairs confirmed that about 40 Indian nationals have been kidnapped from Mosul, will be meeting the Foreign Minister at about 3: 30 pm. and request for intervention and also urge to build pressure on Iraq.

Meanwhile, Swaraj told reporters on Thursday that all efforts were underway to rescue the Indian and that she was 'personally' supervising the efforts. "I will leave no stone unturned to ensure rescue of our citizens," said the foreign minister.

Most of the boys who had gone to Iraq for a better future about eleven months back last contacted with their families in Punjab on Sunday. The families had claimed that after Sunday there has been no contact and the mobile phones are switched off.

Although the foreign minister herself had called one school teacher Gurpinder Kaur, who is fighting for the rescue of her brother Manjinder Singh, but the worry of the families grew after kidnapping reports emerged.

However, an external affairs ministry official, who did not want to be named, told the Hindustan Times that Iraq government officials had told India that the abductees were safe but their whereabouts were not known.

The families on Wednesday had offered prayers at a Gurudwara and also made an appeal to the Government of India for help.

Most of the boys from Amritsar and surrounding villages are between the age of 25 to 35 and lived in Mosul. Most of them worked with a construction company there.

While narrating woes to the media, the families had claimed that most of the missing boys had called up on Sunday and told that they were fine. But after that no contact has been established adding to the worries.

Moreover the deteriorating situation in Iraq and kidnapping reports have brought fears for the kin.

Meanwhile, The Punjab government which is in touch with the foreign ministry has issued phone numbers 0172-2740397 and 0172-2740035 for the relatives whose kin are stuck in Iraq.